The present invention relates to a brake control device for a bicycle, and more particularly, to a brake control device mounted to what is commonly referred to as the drop-type handle bar which has a straight rod section and at opposite ends of the rod section a pair of U-like shaped bent rod sections. The brake control device commonly used with a drop-type handle bar generally has a main lever for actuating the brake while the rider is gripping the bent rod sections and an auxiliary lever which is positioned so that a rider may grasp the brake control device while gripping the straight rod section of a handle bar.
The brake control device is mounted to a bent section of the handle bar by a bracket which is positioned to provide access to the main and auxiliary levers of the brake control device.
The brake control device described as above is fixed to the handle bar by the bracket and thereafter the distances between the main and auxiliary levers and opposite handle bar portions is fixed; that is, the rider cannot adjust the distances between the handle bars and the main and auxiliary levers.
Even when the mounting bracket of the brake control device is set to be fixed at a desired position on the handle bar so as to provide suitable distances between the main and auxiliary levers and the corresponding handle bar sections to provide an easy gripping of the levers, different drop-type handle bars and different mounting positions of the brake control device bracket causes great changes in the lever to handle bar distances, especially the distance between the auxiliary lever and the straight portion of the handle bar. Thus, it has been difficult with conventional brake control devices to keep suitable distances between the main and auxiliary levers under various conditions.
Moreover, even if a proper distance is selected for a standard drop-type handle bar, the conventional brake control device cannot be adjusted so that the distance between main and auxiliary levers and handle bars fits the size of a rider's hand or his particular preference. Accordingly, it has been impossible with conventional brake control devices to conform the brake gripping distance, i.e., the distance between handle bar and brake lever, to every rider.
The present invention has been designed to overcome the foregoing problems. A main object of the invention is to provide a brake control device for a bicycle which is capable of having the distance between the main and auxiliary levers and corresponding sections of the handle bar adjusted, particularly that distance between the auxiliary lever and a corresponding section of the handle bar opposite thereto which heretofore has been very difficult to adjust satisfactorily.
Another object of the invention is to provide a brake control device for a bicycle in which the distance between the main lever and a corresponding section of the handle bar can be adjusted.
The foregoing objects have been achieved by providing a brake control device in which the main and auxiliary levers are pivoted to the bracket which fixes the brake control device to a handle bar, with the main and auxiliary levers being swingable independently of one another. A wire hook which is integral with the auxiliary lever swings in association therewith and is also mounted to the bracket, the wire hook retaining one end of a control wire whose other end is connected with the bicycle brake. The main lever is provided with an engaging member which, when the main lever is controlled, engages with the wire hook causing it to swing. An adjust bolt is provided between the wire hook and engaging member for adjusting the relative position of the main lever to the wire hook which causes an adjustment in the grip dimension between the auxiliary lever and the straight section of the handle bar opposite thereto.
The main lever is provided with an adjusting member which is controllably movable towards a front wall of the bracket which causes an adjustment in the grip dimension between the main lever and bent rod section of the handle bar opposite thereto.
Both the adjust bolt and adjusting member can be controlled in combination so that the extension of the brake control wire and contraction of an outer sheath thereof may be adjusted without changing dimensions between the grips of the main and auxiliary levers and the handle bars. In addition, the adjust bolt can be utilized to loosen the control wire to expand the distance between brake shoes controlled by the brake control device. Thus, even when used with a caliper brake, the adjust bolt can facilitate removal of the bicycle wheel from between the brake shoes.
These and other objects and novel features of the invention will be more apparent from the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which show one embodiment thereof.